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Public safety block to stay empty

Committee rejects idea of storing buses on city's downtown property

The Grand Junction city block set aside in 2008 for a public safety facility will remain empty for at least a little while longer.

The city of Grand Junction’s property committee, made up of City Council members Bruce Hill, Gregg Palmer and Teresa Coons, decided Monday evening to reject a proposal from Greyhound Bus Lines to temporarily store some of the national bus line’s buses on the property, which is bordered by Fifth and Sixth streets and Ute and Pitkin avenues. The property is across the street from the Greyhound Bus Station at 230 S. Fifth St.

“I’m not a fan of it,” Hill said. “It’d be nice to see that lot cleaned up, but storing buses on it? I don’t know.”

Hill said he’d prefer to see a downtown welcome center or something of a similar ilk on the property.

Palmer hesitated to support the idea because he worried having more buses than usual pulling onto the busy streets surrounding the block may be a traffic hazard. Hesitation from the board also arose from knowing Grand Valley Transit is tentatively considering having Greyhound and GVT buses repaired and stored in a single location in north Grand Junction.

Later Monday night at the Grand Junction City Council meeting, council members approved a $153,923 construction contract with Clifton-based Vosatek Construction Inc. to build an additional recycling center processing building in the city shops area.

A $325,731 grant will cover the cost of constructing the building and purchasing a baler to help the city triple its capacity for recycling.

The council also approved a $145,600 contract with Denver-based Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. to design an ultraviolet disinfection system at Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant. The system would use light instead of chlorine and sulfur dioxide gases to kill bacteria. The money for the contract will come out of Persigo’s budget.

The city estimates another $600,000 will be needed to build the disinfection system, and city construction inspection and contract administration are projected to cost another $25,000.